Coast Guard conducts double medevac from cruise ship

SAN DIEGO — An MH-60J Jayhawk helicopter crew from San Diego conducted a medical evacuation of two passengers from a cruise ship 200 miles south of San Diego today.

The crew of the Norwegian Star, a Bahamanian flagged cruise ship, alerted Coast Guard officials that a 49-year-old woman on board was injured and the ship’s doctor recommended a medevac.

A helicopter was launched from Sector San Diego. While en route to the ship’s location, the Coast Guard was contacted again and asked that a second passenger be evacuated as well.

The helicopter arrived on scene at 7:00 p.m., hoisted the patients and transported them to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.

“Luckily weather conditions were perfect, and we were able to get the patients to medical attention quickly and safely,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Megan Mansfield-Clark, the flight mechanic who performed the hoists. This was Mansfield-Clark’s first search and rescue case.